Comments about ‘Catholics told not to give LDS parish data’

I have to repeat myself: you have still access to the archives of the catholic
church and this will never stop to happen! Nobody is asking you for your
religion when you enter a catholic archive. It`s now a bit harder for the
american genealogists and LDS Members, but there allready now a lot of records
not microfilmed by the LDS. Who has for example complained about the protestant
church in germany? They refuse to let their records filmed since the seventies,
because they think the LDS are not christian and a syncretic religion. Most
catholic Dioceses in Poland allready refused microfilming their records. The
pope is just going a step further after writing the essay about not accepting
the LDS Baptizm of living people (as a leader of the "Congregation for the
Doctrine of the Faith"). Take a deep breath and plan your next visit to europe
and the church archives here.

The parish records belong to the catholic church, they are theirs to do with as
they see fit, it is a prvillage NOT a right for the LDS Church to have access to
them.I hope that this policy may be changed in the future but, for the present
it is what it is and we must simply accept that. The work of the Temple goes on
and on even without access to Catholic parish records, we shall simply move into
another area of labor for those whose records are available to us. We shall have
enough temple work ahead of us to last through the Millenium, so rather than cry
foul lets move on and wait for the day when we can once again glean from the
parish records the information we need. I am sure that Heaveanly Father knows of
this matter and will deal with it in his own way and in his own due time.Shawilli

I was a catholic until age 21 when I converted to the LDS Church. I actually
have no problem at all with this pronouncement, and I still have much
geneological work to do. It will open up an honest dialogue on doctrinal truth
that, as evidenced by this move, has not been had in the past. It will foster a
better understanding of mutual beliefs and I'm confident that President Monson
will find a way to prevail upon the leaders of the great Catholic faith to allow
us (LDSs) to know our progenitors' histories. I am not worried and no one else
should be either. The end has only to be played out...all will have an
opportunity to accept or reject the restoration of the gospel. For my part, if
I've offended my Catholic brethren and family I'd love to sit down and explain
my motives, namely, to draw nearer to my predecessors thorugh temple work. I
also would like to apologize for the missionaries in Colorado who defaced your
monuments. I'm not sure if their actions had anything to do with the decision,
but if so, I offer my personal regrets. God Bless.

You folks who think the Catholic church is right, how would you feel if you were
trying to research your ancestors, (it would be almost impossible to research
without the Lds database.) and the LDS church said that you had to have a temple
recomend to view? I would be upset as a non-member. They are my relatives. That
is exactly what the Catholic church is saying. The Lds church is doing everyone
a favor allowing ancestry research regardless of creed to search out ancestors
from the comfort of their own computers. If you don't do geneology then it
doesn't matter, however there are tons of people that do. I am not LDS but love
geneology and would hate to have to go to a foreign country if the Lds church
was doing that for free. I have found plenty of records off the database that
would have cost me thousands to fly to the countries and search the records. I
hope the Catholic church changes this bigoted policy.

"You folks who think the Catholic church is right, how would you feel if you
were trying to research your ancestors, (it would be almost impossible to
research without the Lds database.) and the LDS church said that you had to have
a temple recomend to view? I would be upset as a non-member. They are my
relatives."

Upset?...They are my relatives?

Hmmmm....I wonder if this is how a Catholic mother feels when she is denied
entrance to the temple to witness the marriage of a child who converted to
Mormonism?

If LDS temple work is neither christian nor authorized,
then why would it matter? Heck, the genealogical records we record are
available to the public as a service. Yep, they are available to you too if you
wish. If I weren't a believing Latter-Day Saint, I would look at the LDS and
say, "Hey, go ahead and knock yourself out. It is no skin off my nose."

"Julie | 12:48 a.m. May 4, 2008I'm still trying to figure out why it
bothers people that mormons do baptisms for the dead if non-mormons don't
believe that it has any effect."

"amen | 1:10 a.m. May 4,
2008I completely agree with Julie... If it is "erroneous" in their view,
then what is the big deal?"

Because it is 'erroneous', or, a false
doctrine. The same reason that we wouldn't worship another God, even though we
don't believe in other Gods. It would have no effect beyond dishonoring the
doctrine of worshiping Almighty God, and blaspheming. We know it to be a pagan
practice, therefore we want no part of it.Scripture plainly teaches that
if one waits until they have died, they have waited too long. There are no
second chances after death. This is why it is a big deal.

This proves that religion is just one big fat source of contention in the world.
Let's bulldoze ALL the churches and put in parks. Everybody get out and get some
exercise and go be nice to your neighbors. Give your donations to an
organization that helps the poor, starving and sick not into maintaining real
estate. Then maybe you'll feel like getting off the prozac and find something
better to do than gossip and judge your neighbors.

"Still sane | 8:27 a.m. May 4, 2008So once again "Christians" fight
other "Christians" - oh, except the others don't believe that the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is Christian anyway. so, I guess it must be
OK."

Yes, it is okay. We are all free to believe as we will. We are
all responsible for our own faith and the doctrines that we choose to adhere to.
LDS believe that others are wrong, so why do they find it strange that others
believe that they are wrong? Please, let go of the persecution complex.

The main negative response to my earlier comment seems to stem from a
misunderstanding about the doctrine of baptism for the dead. Those for whom it
is performed have a choice of whether or not they want to accept this ordinance.
It is not revisionist history as claimed by one commentor because I believe the
records of who has been baptized for the dead are kept private in the church.
Mormons don't claim that anyone who has been baptized for the dead is now
"mormon." In response to other criticism, feel free to baptize me into any other
church or make me a member of any organization. I don't mind because I don't
believe it has any eternal effect or consequences.

The LDS Church would not say one single thing about anothe Church doing baptism
for the dead and rebaptizing our members because they think we have fallen from
the truth. You apparently do not know the 11th article of faith where we allow
others to practice their religion and ask the same of them to let us allow our
religion.

I wonder if the catholic church believe in agency, the
great and wonderful gift from God to make our own decision. If we baptize them
and they don't wan that baptism then it is null and void.

As a young Catholic, I don't think that the Vatican should engage in ecumenical
dialog with any other branch of Christianity except for the Greek Orthodox.
There are so many sects, groups, cults, and "churches" with traditions and views
so different from Catholic and also from each other, that it is pointless waste
of time. Regardless if the LDS is offended by this new Vatican ruling, it
was done to protect the private registry of members of Catholic parishes, and to
keep bizarre practices away from the Catholic Church.There is nothing
wrong with wanting to protect your own faithful (Catholics)

My understanding is that the Catholics have believed that the living have the
opportunity to affect the amount of time that a deceased soul spends in
Purgatory. The time might be reduced through prayers (prayer candles) and
earlier there was sale of indulgences for the dead. This doctrine that the
living can change the outcome for the dead is a "similar" teaching held by the
the LDS church. Other similar teachings include Extreme Unction and LDS
annointing of the sick. Of all other Christian faiths, I would think that the
Catholics very well understand LDS ministrations in behalf of the dead. I think
it is in their understanding, not their misunderstanding that they abhor the LDS
practice. They understand the doctrines of authority and keys very well, and
have a very deep concern for the outcome of a deceased soul now having the
choice of which of the two churches to have membership in.

The pope can't pray for the world - because that includes me (a mormon). If I
wanted the pope to pray for the world (including me) then I would become a
catholic. By the way, how does the catholic church have ownership over my
ancestors? They are witholding info about my ancestors. . . talk about respect
for the dead (and living).

While some Catholics might believe in Limbo, it was never Church Doctrine but
people doctrine...like the Adam/God Doctrine, blood atonement and other
teachings of the LDS Church.As the Jewish people were offended by temple
work for the dead, especially the Holocaust victims, why not wait until the
Resurrection and allow these people to make the choice for themselves? Based on
the size of past and present populations, we are not going to catch up as the
temple currently functions. It really would be similar for the Catholics to
approach the LDS Church to state that all LDS marriages are not valid and wish
to give the children produced legitimacy by marrying the parents after their
death into the Holy Roman Catholic Church. Would the LDS Church willingly hand
over records? My magic eight-ball says "not likely."